聖者曇無竭菩薩問品第三
Chapter 3: The Holy Bodhisattva Dharmodgata's Questions
爾時，聖者曇無竭菩薩摩訶薩，依於如實第一義諦過諸一切世間覺觀境界之相，白佛言：「世尊！我憶過去世、復過彼過去世，離此世界七十七恒河沙世界、過彼無量恒河沙世界已，有佛國土，號名稱世界，彼中有佛名毘摩羅吉諦如來，住彼國土。我於爾時遊化眾生往彼世界。爾時，見有一外道師止住一處，有七萬七千弟子聚集其所，依第一義相思惟諸法。彼諸外道迭共推覓第一義相、稱量第一義相、思惟第一義相，觀察不見第一義相，生異異意、異異見、異異執著，立異朋黨起於諍論，口力交諍出不善言，迭共相亂起散而去。世尊！我於爾時即生心念：『希有，諸佛如來出世。以依如來出世間故，今得見聞過於一切世間境界第一義相、得證第一義相、見第一義相、證一切滅相。』」
At that time, the holy being Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Tanwujie, relying on the true ultimate meaning that transcends all worldly perceptions and mental constructs, addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One! I recall past ages, and even further back, beyond this world by seas of sands countless as seventy-seven Ganges Rivers, beyond those immeasurable seas of sands, there is a Buddha land called the World of Names. In that land, a Buddha named Vimalakirti Tathagata resides. At that time, I traveled there to teach and transform living beings. In that world, I saw a teacher of heretical views dwelling in one place, surrounded by seventy-seven thousand disciples gathered together, contemplating all phenomena based on their mistaken notions of ultimate truth. Those heretics repeatedly sought to find the ultimate meaning, measured the ultimate meaning, pondered the ultimate meaning, yet upon observation, could not perceive the ultimate meaning. They generated different thoughts, different views, and different attachments, forming factions and starting disputes, clashing with harsh words, throwing each other into confusion, and dispersing. World-Honored One! At that moment, I thought to myself: 'How rare! The Buddhas, the Tathagatas, appear in the world. Because of the Tathagatas' appearance, we can now see and hear the ultimate meaning that surpasses all worldly realms, realize the ultimate meaning, perceive the ultimate meaning, and awaken to the cessation of all conditioned things.'"
爾時，世尊告曇無竭菩薩言：「曇無竭！如是，如是。我覺過諸世間境界第一義相，如是覺已而為人說、以示於人、顯示於人，建立是法。何以故？我為聖人說我內身自所證法、為諸凡夫說覺觀境界，迭共所知。曇無竭！汝今當依此義而知所謂過諸世間境界是第一義相。
At that time, the World-Honored One said to Bodhisattva Tanwujie, "Tanwujie, it is exactly so. I have realized the supreme truth that transcends all worldly states. Having realized this, I teach it to others, show it to others, and establish this Dharma. Why? For the noble ones, I speak of the Dharma I have personally realized within myself; for ordinary beings, I speak of the realms of thought and observation, which are mutually known. Tanwujie, you should understand accordingly: what is called transcending all worldly states is the supreme truth."
「復次，曇無竭！我說第一義者，是過一切諸相境界，覺觀是名諸相境界；如是，我說第一義者是無言境界，覺觀是名言說境界。曇無竭！我說離諸言語是第一義相，覺觀名字是世諦相；如是，我說離諸諍論是第一義相，覺觀名字是諍論相。曇無竭！依此義相，汝今應知過諸世間覺觀境界是第一義相。
Furthermore, Dharmodgata! What I call the ultimate truth (paramartha) transcends all realms of perception and conceptualization. Perception and reflection are what I refer to as realms of conceptualization. Thus, I declare that the ultimate truth is the realm of the ineffable—beyond words—while perception and reflection belong to the realm of verbal expression. Dharmodgata! I state that the ultimate truth is devoid of all speech, whereas conceptualization and names pertain to conventional truth. In this way, I affirm that the ultimate truth is free from all disputes, while conceptualization and names give rise to contentious notions. Dharmodgata! Based on these characteristics, you should now understand that the ultimate truth surpasses all worldly realms of perception and reflection.
「曇無竭！譬如有人，盡於一形噉辛苦味、樂辛苦味，彼人不能知、不能覺、不能量、不能信石蜜、阿婆婆等甘美之味。
Dharmodgata! Consider a person who, throughout their entire life, eats only bitter and astringent flavors, and delights in such flavors. Such a person cannot know, cannot perceive, cannot measure, and cannot believe in the sweet taste of honey or sugarcane.
「曇無竭！有人長夜信貪欲樂、樂著貪欲、為貪欲火燒內心，身不能知、不能覺、不能量、不能信離諸一切色、聲、香、味、觸無貪欲樂。
「曇無竭！有人長夜信分別樂、樂於分別，不能知、不能覺、不能量、不能信內身寂靜無分別樂。
「曇無竭！有人長夜樂見聞覺知樂，信樂而行，彼人不能知、不能覺、不能量、不能信內身寂滅離見聞覺知樂。
「曇無竭！如人長夜取我我相樂，信樂而行，彼人不能知、不能覺、不能量、不能信北欝單越無我我所樂。
「曇無竭！如是覺觀之人，不能知、不能覺、不能量、不能信離諸覺觀第一義相。」
爾時，世尊而說偈言：
「我說身證法， 第一離言境，
離覺觀諍相， 無言第一義。」